The Sacrifice
by Your Sorceress Knight
Summary: The critical scene in which a struggling Samus says goodbye to the only man who ever understood her. Prepare for the feels.


Commander Malkovich finished the briefing, gave her one final word of caution, and turned to leave. As he walked away, his footsteps pounded in synchronization with her heartbeats. Still fatigued from before, she struggled to get on her feet. She finally rose as she helped herself up against the wall. "Hold on, Adam," she called out to him in a tired voice. She stumbled after him like a newborn fawn and tried to regain her balance. "What are you planning to do with the Metroids here in Sector Zero?" The man, without turning to face her, replied, "Leave it to me. I'll deal with this place." Breathing heavily, she stared at him incredulously and asked, "You have a plan for dealing with Metroids that can't be frozen?"

She struggled to stand on her own two feet, but made an effort to continue after him. Adam said solemnly, "...Sector Zero has a self-destruct protocol." It was at this precise moment that she fully understood what he was about to do, but he continued to detail his tragically altruistic plan. "If the sector receives a significant amount of damage, the unit is programmed to detach and self-destruct. A powerful explosion will eliminate the Metroids and MB without leaving a trace." A furious sadness swelled through her heart as she reached out for him. "Don't you dare, Adam!" she said to him angrily. "Let me go in! I'm the only one who has a shot against the Metroids!" Still, he would not turn to face her. "We have to take the chance!" She took a trembling footstep towards him.

"You have to trust me!" Instantly, the commander was reminded of his traumatic past. A younger and more naïve Samus had said the exact same thing, promising to save Ian. ...Was she right? Could she have saved my brother? he thought. No, I had to make that decision. I'm sorry, Ian... I'm sorry, Samus. "You have to trust me. Just give me a chance!" she choked out. The commander finally turned to face her and grabbed her arm. He spoke with a certain soft sternness. "Samus. I wish I could battle Ridley, but I can't."

Adam lowered his weapon and said to her, "Unlike you, I'm no galactic savior." He slowly released his grip and said, "I'm merely human." The two looked into each other's faces with all the hopes and dreams of the world. "But I can save you." Those words struck a hard chord in her heart. She continued to stare into his eyes, hoping he could feel what she felt and hoping that he would abort his mission. The commander dispelled her hopes by changing the subject. "You should be completely healed soon. There isn't much time. We both need to get started on our missions."

He paused, and spoke with the utmost sincerity. "I'm sorry for getting a little rough with you." Her heart rate began to escalate and could feel him slipping away. "Good luck, Samus." This was it. This was goodbye, his unofficial departure from her life. He turned his back on her and walked away. "Wait!" she called out desperately. She ran after him, straining her body to summon the suit and stop him from leaving. "Adam!" She kept trying and trying, but her efforts were in vain: she could not summon the suit. "Wait! Adam!" she cried out. He walked through the gate and the doors sealed themselves shut. Locked. She reached the barrier and futilely slammed her fists into the transparent glass. "Please wait! Adam!" He could hear her desperate pleas but swallowed his guilt and soldiered on.

He turned his face to her one final time. He asked her, "No objections, right, Lady?" These words echoed in her mind like a long-lost melody. She slowly lowered her arms and clenched her fists tightly. Tears began to form in her eyes as she watched Adam await her reply. She then began to raise her hand, and produced the thumbs up. And with all the bitterness and misery in her heart, she inverted the sign and gave him what he was looking for. Satisfied with her response, he gave one of his rare smiles, and turned his back on her for one last time. The gates opened, and her best friend, the one person who understood her, vanished.


End file.
